Determinants of fertility in Guatemala

The 1978 Contraceptive Prevalence Survey for Guatemala provides an opportunity to examine fertility levels and a number of determinants of fertility for three broad segments of the country: the Department of Guatemala and, in the remainder of the country, the Ladino and Indian populations. While Ladinos had a much higher rate of contraceptive use than did Indians, the two groups had similar birth rates. The lack of difference in fertility appears to be due to the pattern of prolonged breastfeeding among Indians and perhaps to differences in the rate of conception due to nutrition, coital frequency, or other factors.